Michigan Basketball vs. MSU Open Thread

What else do you want to talk about?!? Huge game where somebody's season hits rock bottom. Michigan's slide continues and the season series vs. the Spartans is lost, or MSU loses 3 in a row and is out of the B1G race, and, well, loses to Michigan. Can't get much bigger without a title on the line. The road to a long Tourney run starts here. Go Blue!

is small. Didn't even fill the bleachers, there's a lot of older guys here that aren't students but bought the tickets. MSU parents then take up another chunk. Nothing in 130. And we're broken up a little bit, so I wouldn't expect anything like the OSU atmosphere, although I'm hoping for the best

Team Rankings posted its projected box scores and, for the board's information, they have estimated the following shooting percentages despite predicting a Michigan win:

Shooting

Michigan St.

Michigan

Field Goal %

49.00%

45.00%

2 Point Shooting %

54.30%

50.00%

3 Point Shooting %

36.40%

35.80%

Free Throw %

70.00%

69.00%

What they do is run simulated games and seasons and take an average of the results. Our home average effective FG% is 51.04%, better than MSU's away effective FG% by about 2%. Hopefully, it's closer to something like this.

I'm not feeling good about this game. That said, who knows what will happen in this game coming up. In all honesty, what I don't want is a nailbiter that we end up losing; not that that wouldn't be a good thing, especially if defense seemed improved and certain young players showed up, but the emotional toll that type of game will put on me on this hangover-ridden Sunday will not bode well. (I know...way to make it all about me)

one of Burke's best starts ever. Looks wicked and like he will accept anything less than a victory. Will be interesting how long he will be able to sustain this energy/focus and how MSU will try to adjust.

Still kinda fuming over GRIII's missed shot on the breakaway. Not what happened on the offensive end, but how long it took for him to get back on d, which honestly never really happened. That kid needs to wake the fuck up.

Things would't be simple. We never start that well, and man, we are staying with them, despite it. If the 2nd half adjustment is a true thing, I like where we're at. We've got the energy. Just get the shots to start falling.

Physicality needs to be a point of emphasis moving forward if we are to take the next step. I want a couple more bruisers infused into this team. We have a lot of non-contributors on our bench that I wouldn't neccessarily want to take to a fistfight. Good kids I'm sure but the lack of physicality comes out against teams like MSU and OSU and Indiana...heck even Wisconsin. It's not a coincidence that we lose to those teams. It can't be all about jump shots and alley-oops. I see McGary as the only physical force we have. Thats a problem.